Method and apparatus for setting printing ink



Jan. 9, 1940. MANN 2,186,032-

HE'IHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING PRINTING INK Filed D ec 30-, 1937 2 Sheets-Shee't 1 INVENTOR MQWM ATTO R N EY Jan; 9-, 1940.

I c. P. MANN 2,186,032

AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING PRINTING INK Filed Dec. 30, 1937 METHOD I IIQ Q INVENTOR BY Wm.

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jul. 9, 1940 "UNITED STAT METHOD AND APPARATUS roa snrrme rnm'rmc nus PATENT orrlca Carl P; Mann, Riverton, N. L, aseignor; by meme-assignments, to Interchemioal Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Application December 30.1931. Serial no. 182,435

I 22 Claims. (c1. 101-416) g This invention relates to printing and aims to provide improved apparatus for setting printing There are so-called quick-drying" inlrs'on the market at present containing solvents which are non-volatile at ordinary press room temperatures (25 C.) and which become highly volatile liquids at about 150 C. Such inks are dried and set by causing the material upon which they have been printed to travel through a furnace where the printed surface of the material is subjected to heat of such-great intensity that the solvent is volatilized instantly and solvent vapors are burned in-the furnace. Such furnaces are heated by means of a series of gas burners fixed to manifolds mounted within the furnace through which fuel consisting ,of a mixture of gas and air is supplied to the burners. These burners have not been operated at maximum efliciency in the past because it has been necessary to supply an excess of air in the fuel mixture to support combustion of the vapors of the ink solvent within the furriace. Furthermore, the heat to which the burner manifolds are subjected "in the furnace cause them to-beco'me dangerously hot. I have discovered that the burners of a furnace may be operated at maximum efliciency to supply.

dried by moving the material past a heater pro-" vided with a .gas' burner directed toward the printed surface of the material. A substantially co'r'n'pletely' combustible mixture of gas and air is burned in the heater volatilizing the solvent of the ink and burning the solvent vapor. The heater is cooled and. air is provided for,,combustion of the solvent vapor by projecting a current of air over the heater and then into admixture with the solvent vapor;

My invention includes also apparatus bymeans of which the heater is cooled and air necessary to support the combustion of .solvent vapors is 'sup- "plied while the burners of the heater are operwhich contains a heater adapted to direct intense pace.

21, communicates with the burner compartment solvent vapor.

heat upon the printed surface of the material and means are provided for distributing air from the air duct over the part of the printed surface which is adjacent the heater.

A specific embodiment of the apparatus for carrying out my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the furnace attached to the frame of a printing press;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the furnace; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the air duct.

In the apparatus illustrated in the'drawings, inlr is applied to a web of material 6 by means-oi an ordinary web press I. The material fi'merges from the .press with its printed surface uppermost and travels, in the direction indicated by the arrows, through the furnace and over rollers 8, 9, Hi and I! to rewindv roller it. The furnace through which the printed material t travels is enclosed in a casing of insulating material it attached to the frame of the printing press 1' and is supplied with heat through a series of burners fuel chamber ll. Fuel is supplied to the respective burners l5 from their manifolds It by needle.

valves IS. The burners l5 are contained in a compartment I9 which is separated from the compartment containing manifolds l6 by strips of insulating material 2| having slits 22 between their adjacent edges.

The end of the furnace which is adjacent press I is equipped with end plate 24 and a narrow opening 25 through which the printed material 6 enters the burner compartment IQ of the fur- A suction duct 26, provided with damper E9 of the furnace at its other end and communication between the suction duct and manifold compartment 20 is prevented by the member 28.

A controlled amount of fresh cool air is supplied to the manifold compartment 20 of the fur-- nace: A row of conduits and a row of conduits 3i, which communicate with manifold compartment 20,- project from end plate 24 into a tapered air duct 32 attached to that end plate. The larger end of air duct 32 communicates with blower 33 and is provided with a'dar'nper 3d.

As the printed material 6 travels through the burner compartment 19 of the furnace, its printed surface is subjected during-a very'brief period to heatfrom burners ii of suiilcient' intensity to volatilize the solvent of the ink'and ignite the At the same time, fresh cool air is supplied from blower 33 to themanifold com- I5 fixed to manifolds l6 which extend across the interior of the furnace and communicate with a partment 2U ofthe furnace. The taper of air,

duct 32 eifects a uniform distribution of air from= blower 33 to conduits 20 and 3| extending into that air duct, and it will be noted that the diameter of the conduits 30 in the upper row is larger than the diameter of the conduits ii in the lower row, thus insuring circulation of fresh, cool air over burner manifolds IE to the far end of the furnace. After the air from duct 32' passes over the burner manifolds I 6, it flows through slits 22 to the burner compartment 1 9 where it is distributed over the printed surface of the material 6 adjacent the burners i5. The air from duct 32 not only cools manifold it, but, in'passing down through slits 22, counteracts the tendency of gases contained in the burner compartment l8'to rise.

to the manifold compartment 20, and the distribution of this air over the printed surface of the and any solvent vapors which may not be burned, are withdrawn from burner compartment i9,

The amount of air through suction duct 28. supplied to the furnace through air duct 32 is controlled by damper 34, and the rate at which gases are withdrawn from the burner compartment i8 is controlled by damper 21 in suction duct 26. The adjustments of these dampers will vary with the material printed, the rate at which it is printed,'etc., and ean'best be effected by observing conditions within the furnace. The fresh air damper is most desirably adjusted so that the tail of the flames caused by combustion of the solventv vapors appears to travel along the surface of the material 8 at a speed which is substantiallythe same. as the speed of that material. Suction damper 21 is most desirably opened to a point just beyond that at which products of combustion are observed to cease traveling ,over roller 8'.

What I claim is:

1. The method of drying a printing ink containing a volatiiizable inflammable solvent after the ink has been printed upon material, which comprises moving the material past a heater provided with a gas burner d rected toward the printed surface of the material, burning a substantially completely combustible mixture of gas and air in said heater, volatilizing the solvent \of the ink, projecting a current of air over said heater and then into admixture with the solvent vapor to cool the heater and provide air for combustion of the solvent vapor. and burning said solvent vapor.

2. The method of drying a printing ink containing a volatilizable inflammable solvent after the ink has been printed upon material, which comprisesmoving the material through an enclosed heater provided with a gas burner directed toward the printed surface of the material, burning a substantially completely combustible mixture of gas and air in said burner, volatilizing the solvent of the ink, projecting a current ofair over said heater and then into admixture with the solvent vapor to cool the heater and provide air for combustion of the solvent vapor, and burning said-solvent vapor. I

3. The method of drying a printing ink con-' taining a volatilizable inflammable solvent after the ink has been printed upon material, which comprises moving the material through a furnace provided-with, a gas burner directed toward the combustion from the furnace.

printed surface of the material, burning a substantially completely combustible mixture of gas and air in said burner, volatilizing the solvent of the ink, projecting a current of cool air through said furnace and then into admixture with the solvent vapor, and burning said solvent vapor.

4. The method of drying a printing ink containing a volatilizable inflammable solvent after the ink has been printed upon material, which comprises moving the material through a furnace containing a gas burner directed toward the printed surface of the material, burning a substantially completely combustible mixture of gas and air in said burner, volatilizing the solvent of the ink, projecting a stream of cool air through the furnace and then into admixture with the solvent vapor, burning the solvent vapor in the furnace, and then withdrawing the products of 5. The combination with a printing press, of

an enclosed furnace located in the path of the means for distributing air from said duet overthe part of saidprinted surface which is adjacent' said heater.

6. The combination with a web printing press,

of an enclosed furnace located in the path of the 7. The combination with a printing press, of

an enclosed furnace located inthe path of the printed material a gas burner mounted in said furnace and adapted to direct intense heat upon the printed surface of the material, an air duct communicating with the interior of the furnace, and means for distributing air from said duct over the part of said printed surface which is adjacent said gas burner. 8. The combination with a printing press, of an enclosed furnace located in the path of the printed material, a heater mounted in said furnace and adapted to direct intense heat upon the printed surface of the material, an air duct communicating with the interior of the furnace. means for distributing air from said duct over the part of said printed surface, which is adjacent saidheater, and a suction duct communicat-' ingwith the interior of the furnace. 9. The combination with a printing press, of an enclosed furnace located in the path of the printed material, a heater mounted in said furnace and adapted to direct intense heat upon the printed surface of the material, an air duct adapted to deliver fresh air into the interior of the furnace, means for regulating the amount of air delivered from said air duct to the furnace, andmeans for distributing the air delivered from said duct overthe part of said printed surface which is adjacent said heater.

10. The combination with a printing press, of an enclosed furnace located in the path of the printed material. a burner manifold mounted in said furnace, a'gas burner fixed to said manifold, an air duct adapted to deliver cool air to the interior of the furnace, and means for causing the cool air delivered from'said duct to circulate around said burner manifold.

11. The combination with a printing press, of

i an enclosed furnace located in the path of the printed material, a burner manifold extending across the interior of said furnace, a series of gas burners fixed to said manifold and adapted to direct intenseheat upon the printed surface of the material, an air duct adapted to deliver cool air to the interior of said furnace, means for circulating'the cool "air delivered from said duct around said burner manifold, and means.

for distributing said air over the part of said printed surface which .is adjacent the gas burners.

12. The combination with a printing press, of 'an enclosed furnace having a manifoid compartment and a separate burner compartment located in the path of the printed material, a gas burner mounted in said burner compartment and adaptterior .of the furnace into saidiair duct, and

means for distributing air delivered tothe furnacethrough' said conduits over'the part of said printed surface which is adjacent said heater.

14. The combination with aprinting'press, .of an enclosed furnace. located in the path of the printed material, a heater mounted in said furmace and adapted to direct intense heat upon the printed surface of the material, a tapered air' du'ct, a blower connected with the larger end of said air duct, a row of con duits extending from the interior of the furnace into said air duct,

and means for distributing air delivered to the furnace through said conduit over the-part of said printed surface which is adjacent said .heater.

15. The combination with a printing press, of an enclosed furnace having a manifold compartment and a separateburner compartment located in the path of the printed material, a gas burner mounted in said burner compartment andada'pted'to direct intense heat upon the printed sunface of said-material, an air duct, a plurality of conduits extending from themanifoldcompartment into said air duct, and means for distributing air delivered to the manifold compartment through said conduits over the partof said printed surface which is adjacent said gas burner. 7,

- 18, 'Ihe'comblnation with a press for printing upon a traveling material, of an enclosed furnsce located in the path of the printedmaterial and having anopeningfor the entranceof said material, a heater mounted in said I t printed surface ofthe materiaL'burning a sub- ".cnu adapted to direct'intense heat upon the printed surface of the material, an air duct communicatinafiwith the interior of thenfurnace nd-. jacent said entrance opening, and means for distributing from said duct over the part of said printed surface which is adjacent said heater.

117. 'ilhe combination: with a press for printing upon a traveling material, of an enclosedfurnace' having-an entrance opening and an exit openlns located .in the path, of. th printed a heater mounted in said furnace and adapted to direct intense heat upon the printed surface of the material, an air duct communicating with the interior of the furnace adjacent said entrance opening, means for distributing air from said air duct over the part of said printed surface which is adjacent said heater, and a suction duct communicating .with the interior of the furnace adjacent said exit opening? 18. The combination with a printing press, of

an enclosed furnace located in the path 'of the printed material, a plurality of burner manifolds extending across the interior of said furnace, a series of gas burners fixed to said manifold and adapted to direct intense heat upon the printed surface ofthe material, an-air duct adapted to 'deliver cool air to the interior of said furnace, I means for circulating cool air delivered from said duct around said burner manifolds, and means .for distributing said-air over the part of said printed surface which is adjacent the gas burners.

l9. Thecombination with a web printingpress,

of a furnace having an entrance opening and an exit opening located in the path of the printed web, a'plurality of burner manifolds extending across-the interior of the furnace between said openings, a series of gas burners fixed to said manifolds, an air duct adapted to deliver cool air to the-interior of the furnace adjacent the entrance opening, and a suction duct communicating with the interior of the furnace adjacent the exit opening.

20. The combination with a web printing press, of a furnace having an entrance opening and an exit opening located in the path of the printed web, a plurality of burner-manifolds extending across the interior of. the furnace between saidopenings, an air duct adapted to deliver cool air to the interior of said furnace-adjacent the entrance opening a suction ductcommunicating with the interior of said fin'nace adjacent the exit opening forwithdrawfnggases from said furnace, means for regulating the amount of air delivered from the furnace through said suction -duct.

21. The combination with a press adapted to print an,ink containing a volatilizable inflammable solvent upon a traveling, web, of an'enclosed heater adapted to subject the printed surface'of the traveling web to heat of sufficient intensity to volatilize the solvent of the. ink and burn' the solvent vapor, and means for directing a stream of air through said'heater and then into admixture with the solvent vapor to cool the heater and provide air for the'fcombustion of said "not.

.32?- A method of'drying a printing ink containing a volatilizable inflammable solvent afteran ink has been printeduponmaterial, which comprises moving the material'past a heaterprovided with a gas'bi'irner directed toward the stantislly (completely combustible mixture of gas and air in said burner, volatilizing the solvent of the'ink, projecting a current of air over said .burner with at leasta portion thereof passing into admixture with the solvent vapor so as tcr cool: the burner and provide, air for combustion 1 yapor.

i j cant. P. 

